Midseason stretch holds key to Huskies’ season
A sportsbook review of the 2012 schedule for the Washington Huskies would point towards a front-loaded slate for UW, but a four-game stretch in late September into October will either make or break the Huskies in the Pac-12.
The first couple of games for most major-conference teams are games where players that are working with pay per head software will see huge lines as squads are shaking the rust off, but the Huskies host an intriguing San Diego State team in their opener on September 1st.
Washington then heads to Baton Rouge to take on LSU, who lost to Alabama in the BCS title game, although they beat the Crimson Tide earlier in the season in SEC play. The Tigers figure to have the best defense in the country, or at least a top-three unit, and that is going to be a tough day for quarterback Keith Price.
Washington gets Portland State at home for a little breather, but then the Huskies begin the stretch which will define their online betting odds heading into November. The Huskies host Stanford, who are bleeding a new quarterback into the system after losing Andrew Luck to the NFL as the overall No.1 pick, and Washington has to win this game if they’re going to challenge in the Pac-12 North.
If they manage to get past the Cardinal, the Huskies can carry some momentum into a massive trip to Autzen Stadium to face Oregon, who are the favorites at the best online sports betting sites to win the North and face USC in the conference title game (provided the Trojans win the South, as projected).
The Ducks are a handful anywhere, but at Autzen, they have one of the biggest home-field advantages in the country and the Huskies know all about it: two wins in their last 10 visits to Oregon, and a current five-game losing streak. Washington then hosts USC, who is led by Heisman favorite Matt Barkley and is eligible for postseason play after NCAA violations and then they head to Tuscon to face an Arizona team that should be improved.
October closes out with a visit from Oregon State before Washington heads out on the road to meet California, who won the South by default last year due to USC’s off-field troubles, then the Huskies have their home finale against Utah, who were inconsistent in their first year in the Pac-12 after moving from the Mountain West.
The Huskies wrap up the season with road games against Colorado and Washington State, which are both manageable games and ones that the Huskies will likely need to get into a decent bowl. It is the Stanford-Oregon-USC-Arizona stretch that the Huskies have to deal with if they’re going to be a serious darkhorse in the Pac-12 North in your sports book.
